GIFTSFor I came down from
heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

"Good morning children."

"GOOD MORNING MISS POTTER!"

"Is everyone ready to begin
their Sunday School lesson for today?"

"YES MISS POTTER!"

"Very good. Then we will
begin. Today's lesson is about gifts. You all know what gifts are,
don't you children?"

"Oh, I do Miss Potter. For
Christmas I got a real a neat gift. It was a blue and red bicycle.
Brand new too. Do you want me to show it to you Miss Potter?"

"That's not as neat as my
gift Bobby. I got a computer with one of those flat screens that I can
pick up."

"That's nothing Jimmy, I
got...."

"That's very nice children,
but that's not the kind of gifts that I'm talking about. The gifts I'm
referring to come from God"

"Oh, I know Miss Potter. My
aunt has one of those kind of gifts. She talks real funny like and I
can't understand her and she rolls on the floor a lot."

"I don't think I want a gift
like that Miss Potter. I'd get my dress wrinkled and dirty and my
mother would get mad. Does God have any other gifts He can give me?"

"That isn't the kind of gift
I mean either children. The gift God gives, you already have. Some of
you were born with this gift, and some of you have had to work hard to
make this gift work. But you all have one of these gifts. Jimmy, you're
good at drawing aren't you? And Mary, you can play the piano."

"I can play the guitar a
little bit Miss Potter. Do you want me to play for you? I can run home
and get it, I don't live very far..."

"That's ok Douglas. Maybe
another time you can play for us. What I mean is that you all have some
special gift. Some of you can fix things, and some of you are good at
playing games like baseball and jump rope. Some of you are good at
helping your mother around the house. Some of you are big and strong
for your age."

"I'm strong Miss Potter.
I'm not very big, but I'm plenty strong ok. Do you want to see me pick
up this table?"

"That's ok Bruce. I already
know how strong you are. There are some of you who can sing better than
others, and some of you who are especially pretty."

"You mean like Suzie? She's
real pretty."

"I'm not that
pretty Jimmy. Not as pretty as Miss Potter."

"Yes you are too Suzie.
You're the prettiest girl in the world."

"Oh, you're just saying
that. I'm not that pretty, am I Miss Potter?"

"You are pretty Suzie, as
are all of you girls. You see how you each have something special about
you. And you see in the movies and on TV how there are people who are
very good at doing something. We call them famous for the gift that God
has given them. You can see that these famous people don't seem to
realize how their skill or their looks are a gift from God, and they
use their gift to bring attention and wealth to themselves. Do you
think that's what they should be doing. Children?"

"Not me. If I get real good
at something and get famous and rich, I'll try and use my gift to make
people happy and buy food for the starving kids in China and places
like that. I think maybe that's why God gives us the gifts."

"I'd give all my money to
the poor people who live on the streets. I know a family who lives in
their car just a little ways from my house. I give them my lunch when I
have more than I can eat. I think I should give them more. What do you
think Miss Potter?"

"I think you children have
the right idea. And yes, I think that's why God gave us the gifts He
did. We're not to use those gifts for our own benefit, but for the
benefit of others. The world, and especially the Church, is like a big
family. Every member of the family must do his or her part to make the
family healthy and happy. If one person is selfish, all the others have
to fill in for that one member's lack of help."

"You said last week Miss
Potter, that the church is like a big person's body. I kind of think
it's like if a hand doesn't help tie a shoe, the other hand would have
to work real hard to do it all by itself. Is that what you mean Miss
Potter?"

"That's precisely what I
mean Mary Jane. You have the idea exactly."

"My grandpa has a farm. When
I stay with him I have to work real hard because he's old and there's a
lot of work to do. When I first stayed there with him I thought I was
on vacation and didn't have to do anything. Then I felt bad because
grandpa had to work so hard while I played. Then I started helping him,
and I got real big and strong and I felt real good about me because I
knew I was being a good boy and not a lazy guy any more."

"You all have the idea
children. We're put here on this earth and given what we have been
given for the good of others, not for our selves."

"Miss Potter? Isn't that
what Jesus said He came here for? Didn't He come here to do things for
us instead of having other people do things for Him?"

38For
I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but
the will of him that sent me. (John 6:)

21Then
said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as
my
Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (John 20:)

12For
as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the
members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is
Christ . . .. 21And the eye
cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to
the feet, I have no need of you. 22Nay,
much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are
necessary: 23And
those members
of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow
more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts
have more abundant comeliness.24For
our comely parts
have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given
more abundant honour to that part
which lacked:25That there
should be no schism in the body; but that the
members should have the same care one for another. 26And
whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one
member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. (1Cor 12:)

32the
multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of
one soul: neither said any of them
that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had
all things common. (Acts 4:)

1My
brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2For
if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly
apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3And
ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him,
Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there,
or sit here under my footstool: 4Are ye not
then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5Hearken,
my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of
this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath
promised to them that love him? (James 2:)

12So
after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set
down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13Ye
call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so
I am. 14If
I then, your
Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one
another's feet. 15For
I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
(John 13:)